I used to have a lot of puzzles like these laying around, actually. When I was in graduate school, it was kind of a hobby when I got stuck on something mathematical. It was easier to look at a puzzle, keep the mind going, that had nothing to do with whatever I was stuck on. After some focusing on a puzzle, I would end up seeing things differently and it would help me solve whatever I was having a hiccup on.

So, what happened is that there is this show on Japanese TV. Some kind of private detective show, where viewers can write to the program's sleuths about any mystery that's bugging the hell out of them.

So, this 73 year old guy writes to tell them about this puzzle that was in the waiting room of his doctor's office. He's been trying to solve this puzzle for the last ten years, each time he went for his doctor's visit. Then he asked the doctor to let him borrow the puzzle. He could not solve it for nothing.

The staff decided to send one of their "private investigators" to look into the matter.

The private eye took a stab at solving the puzzle. He gave up, shouting, "It can't be done!"

Then he figured that a professional magician might be able to solve it. So, they visited a famous retired Japanese illusionist and gave him the puzzle. He studied the puzzle, then he covered it under a handkerchief. He told the private eye to remove the handkerchief. It was solved!

Or so we thought, until we found that he had used a second metal ring to make it seem like he moved it from one side of the puzzle to the other. Then the magician shouted, "It's impossible! It can't be done!"

However, the magician recommended turning to nature to solve the puzzle. An animal, through its natural instincts should be able to solve the puzzle.

The private eye and the 73 year old went to a zoo, and had a chimpanzee try solving it. The chimp played with it. At the end, the chimp only managed to tangle the section of rope (part of the puzzle), and got bored of the puzzle, abandoning it.

The private eye declared, "The chimpanzee gave up! It's impossible!"

Then, the private eye remembered that there was an association of puzzle solvers... A club made up of people who love to solve puzzles.

So they called the president of this club and asked him to help them with the puzzle. The club president shows up, and looks at the puzzle. He studied it for a couple of minutes and then talked his way through solving the puzzle. He solved it!

The 73 year old did it a couple of times after that, and then declared, "Now I can die in peace."

It was simply hilarious and fun to watch as a seemingly impossible puzzle (he tried solving it for ten years of doctor's visits, and the long time nurse that worked there said, no one has ever solved it.) So, it was kind of fun to see all of the stuff they went through to solve it.

DeadlyOatswrote:
So, what happened is that there is this show on Japanese TV. Some kind of private detective show, where viewers can write to the program's sleuths about any mystery that's bugging the hell out of them.

So, this 73 year old guy writes to tell them about this puzzle that was in the waiting room of his doctor's office. He's been trying to solve this puzzle for the last ten years, each time he went for his doctor's visit. Then he asked the doctor to let him borrow the puzzle. He could not solve it for nothing.

The staff decided to send one of their "private investigators" to look into the matter.

The private eye took a stab at solving the puzzle. He gave up, shouting, "It can't be done!"

Then he figured that a professional magician might be able to solve it. So, they visited a famous retired Japanese illusionist and gave him the puzzle. He studied the puzzle, then he covered it under a handkerchief. He told the private eye to remove the handkerchief. It was solved!

Or so we thought, until we found that he had used a second metal ring to make it seem like he moved it from one side of the puzzle to the other. Then the magician shouted, "It's impossible! It can't be done!"

However, the magician recommended turning to nature to solve the puzzle. An animal, through its natural instincts should be able to solve the puzzle.

The private eye and the 73 year old went to a zoo, and had a chimpanzee try solving it. The chimp played with it. At the end, the chimp only managed to tangle the section of rope (part of the puzzle), and got bored of the puzzle, abandoning it.

The private eye declared, "The chimpanzee gave up! It's impossible!"

Then, the private eye remembered that there was an association of puzzle solvers... A club made up of people who love to solve puzzles.

So they called the president of this club and asked him to help them with the puzzle. The club president shows up, and looks at the puzzle. He studied it for a couple of minutes and then talked his way through solving the puzzle. He solved it!

The 73 year old did it a couple of times after that, and then declared, "Now I can die in peace."

It was simply hilarious and fun to watch as a seemingly impossible puzzle (he tried solving it for ten years of doctor's visits, and the long time nurse that worked there said, no one has ever solved it.) So, it was kind of fun to see all of the stuff they went through to solve it.